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I am currently redecorating a room where I will wallpaper and install a laminate floor (currently carpet). There are still old skirting boards in place which I will be removing and replacing, but I am just looking to confirm the correct running order of these actions.

Is it:

  1. Remove Skirting
  2. Attach new wallpaper
  3. Install new flooring
  4. New Skirting

Or is a different order better?

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    You might consider doing the wallpaper after the flooring in case you ding the walls swinging long boards around. Of course, then you risk the possibility of dropping wallpaper tools on the new floor or scratching it with a ladder... Either way should work just fine.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jun 13 at 11:34
  • @FreeMan I would say banging a board into a newly papered wall is far less likely than dropping wallpaper tools or adhesive on a new floor!
    – Huesmann
    Commented Jun 13 at 11:38
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    As noted, there are risks both ways. I don't think there's an "ideal", though one does, I guess, normally work "top down". I'm tempted to VtC as opinion-based, but... not yet.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jun 13 at 11:44

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If you had not already planned it, I would be removing the old carpet and padding first, along with the carpet tack strips. Rolled up carpet could scuff new wall paper, so why take a chance.

So the full order would be:

Remove carpet, pad and tack strips and any transitions.

Remove the skirting

Attach new wall paper

Install new flooring

Install skirting

Of course, things like preparing the wall and floor for the new products is assumed.

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  • Yes, some additional wall prep may be necessary, since odds are laminate finished grade will be lower than carpet finished grade, and the "skirting" will need to be lowered. If there's any adhesive or caulk at the top of the skirting board, the wall there will need to be smoothed for the paper.
    – Huesmann
    Commented Jun 13 at 11:40
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    I would do the flooring before the wallpaper. There's always the possibility of damage. It's easier to put down a dropcloth than to replace a section of paper.
    – isherwood
    Commented Jun 13 at 12:41
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Usually these things are decided by project management concerns, IE, the decorator comes in after everyone else has finished. If you're doing it all yourself and looking for some ideal order, it would depend a lot on your experience and comfort with each skill.

I would feel confident installing a floor without damaging walls. I would also feel protecting a floor is easy, and protecting walls is a huge pain. So the whole "damage" train of thought doesn't do much for me here. Either way is fine.

I would do the floor first, cover it, do the skirting, paint the new skirting (you didn't mention that) then do the wallpaper.

In my personal hierarchy of things I can mess up, and what I can do to prevent it, getting paint on the wallpaper is top of the list, and taping the wallpaper carefully, then removing the tape without damaging my new paint, would be the thing I want to avoid most. OTOH getting some wallpaper glue on the new skirting is no big deal. I'm going to clean up anyway.

And take Freeman's advice, don't swing long boards around. :)

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I would install floor before wall paper. Install floor, the cover the new floor with the waxed paper that comes in big rolls.. its super easy to lay down. wall papering tools arent that heavy its a brush, a sheetrock/razor knife and a squeegee they wont damage your floors no matter how much you drop them. You really just want to watch for spilled glue, and the paper would be plenry protection. Paint your new baseboard/skirting before you install if possible, then you just need some painters caulk and touch up.

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